Permanent Markers
by elizzabethavary
Summary: Finn/Kurt; Finn's love affair with note writing catches Kurt's attention in an unexpected, yet not unpleasant way. Just some fluffy Kinn fluff. Enjoy


Finn has always been a bit odd.

Kurt firmly believes this assessment and will relate it to anyone who will listen.

In their nearly two years of living together, Kurt has learned quite a few interesting (more than a few less than desirable) things about his lovable oaf of a stepbrother.

For example, the way he nearly always drinks his juice from the carton. Pants, apparently, aren't necessary unless you are in the presence of female company- his mother excluded. Food must always be consumed in barbaric handfuls, utensils neglected. Showering is only an issue when Finn believes Kurt has spent too much time in the bathroom, therefore feeling that he needs to intrude.

Overall, living with Finn can be a challenging, and at times downright frustrating experience. Kurt has learned better than to complain, however tireless Finn's antics may get.

Another thing he has learned about Finn in their time as house mates is that he likes to leave notes. Usually on colored paper, always with a colored sharpie.

He's learned that the color of the paper and sharpie don't coincide either. Case 1: a note left on Kurt's bedroom door, written on neon yellow construction paper in orange marker. Kurt claimed to have had to spend the next week readjusting the color focus in his eyes.

He still claims to see yellow and orange splotches of color when looking at solids too long (whether this is actual fact, or built from Kurt's obsession with pattern is anyone's guess).

He's now accustomed to finding notes all throughout the house. In the shower with ink running down the surface of the soggy paper, inside the fridge reminding himself to close the fridge door (this has made their electricity bill exceptionally easier to look at). Kurt's actually found himself smiling when he finds them tucked away in little spots that nobody BUT Finn would think to look.

After months of theorizing and careful observation of Finn's habits in relation to his notes, Kurt has actually found a method to his madness- besides the obvious lack of Finn-related disturbance and destruction in the house.

Each color of marker represents a different mood or emotion. Blue means he's sad, orange means he's angry, purple means he's hungry, and so on.

When Kurt finally managed to convince Finn to go school supplies shopping with him, Finn made a beeline for the sharpie markers while Kurt tagged along. When Kurt proposed his theory of the color-mood relation, Finn just beamed as if this was the grandest idea known to man. Kurt tilted his head to the side fondly and asked him what the red sharpie meant, and why he never used it. Finn had just flushed and shrugged saying that there wasn't a meaning.

Kurt had always suspected that there was in fact a significance, but could never quite put his finger on it.

One day, seven weeks after Finn and Rachel broke up, four weeks after Finn had rejected Rachel while tree shopping and one week before Kurt would be recruited to help Blaine win the heart of a Gap salesman, Kurt found another note.

The fact that it was a note hardly intrigued him at all. In fact, he wasn't even going to read it, assuming that it was another reminder to buy milk, or a hint to Carole that the new Call of Duty game was coming out in a week and that maybe she could get him an early birthday present.

No, Finn's notes had little to no interest to Kurt other than for the purpose of sheer amusement.

It was the red tinted ink that caught his eye.

He removed himself from the cocoon of blankets he'd wrapped himself up in, closing the book he'd previously been submerged in (Wuthering Heights, because Kurt was always a closet romantic, and a little bit of a masochist) and sliding to the edge of the bed.

He picked up the note between his fingers gingerly, noting the uneven folds and the double creases. It looked worn, as if Finn had been carrying it around with him for quite some time.

The note was simple, once Kurt had unravelled it and pressed the creases between his fingers. It was three tiny words written in red marker on white lined paper.

I love you.

The words shocked Kurt speechless, the note fluttering to the floor and his face contorting in confusion.

Finn loved him? Kurt loved him too, in a purely brotherly way. He'd gotten over that stalker crush of his as soon as their parents said "I do" (of course, that song and dance at the reception hadn't stirred up anything) - or so he keeps telling himself, since his fluttering heart and twisting gut tell another story altogether. He was torn, he had seemingly endless options, as well as no options at all. He stood, retrieving the note from the floor, blinking at it curiously.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

No matter how many times he blinked his eyes or shook his head, the letters didn't morph into some other sequence making sense of all this.

He loved Blaine.

Well actually, he hardly knew Blaine. But he knew Blaine was cute, Blaine was nice, Blaine was gay and definitely not his six foot tall fumbling step brother with a slight temper and a heart of gold. Blaine seemed to genuinely care about Kurt, and requited feelings or not, Blaine was the better choice. Blaine was the sane choice.

Kurt was never known for doing what was right or sane, however.

Kurt smiled softly to himself, thumbing over the piece of paper, taking great care not to wrinkle it. The thought that Finn might actually return his all but forgotten feelings setting a new fire in his heart. He went through all the possibilities, letting himself remember the way he used to dream that he and Finn would get together. He felt the need, however promising this may be, to remind himself that Finn isn't the most organized person, and to not get his hopes up because it could all be a huge misunderstanding.

He couldn't help it though, he had waited far too long to have anything to hope for when it came to Finn Hudson.

He was standing in the same place when Finn barged into the room, eyes widening and flushing in embarrassment at the same time.

Oh yeah, Kurt should also point out that he has forgotten any regard for pants.

Again.

"Kurt, dude… I was just gonna… I thought you…"

"What's this?" He squeaks, unsure of how his voice could possibly have cracked that badly. He watched Finn blink from Kurt, to the note, to the floor, his face steadily reddening in color.

"About that… It was just… then Blaine called and now I-" He cut himself off, stumbling over his words like the lovable, awkward oaf he is.

"Never mind, it's just- it's just stupid." He finished lamely, frowning slightly, backing out of the room, cheeks still tinged red from embarrassment.

"Wait." Kurt protested in a voice hardly higher than a whisper. Finn turned, biting the inside of his cheek and looking hesitant.

"Is it true?" he asked, eyes a crazy color blue that Finn can't even pronounce. His hands are shaking and he has a clear 'don't fuck with me' look on his face.

"Finn, is it true?"

Finn nods ever so slightly- so slightly that if Kurt hadn't been cataloguing his every movement, he would have missed.

"Dude, I'm sorry… I just… and then Blaine…" Kurt laughed suddenly, surprising himself, realizing Finn's going on with the same path of excuses that he'd been babbling a minute earlier. Quickly, he stepped forward, letting the note flutter to the floor again.

"You could have just told me." He muttered, trying to catch Finn's eyes as they stay trained to the ground. "Notes are so… impersonal."

Finn's head snapped up, finally meeting Kurt's eyes. Ice blue meeting chocolate brown. Finn's lips quirk into a tiny half smile which Kurt matched. Finn cleared his throat.

"But I mean- aren't you and Blaine-?"

"Just friends." Kurt smiles, for once feeling optimistic about his unrequited feelings for the curly haired boy. Finn's eyes light up, taking a cautious step forward.

They're both very aware of the fact that they're crossing over a very clearly painted line. A line that was painted by peer-induced homophobia, yelling matches and Kurt's long lived desire to have someone to love.

Everything breaks down when their lips meet.

Later, curled up in blankets on the couch Finn will be nodding off with Kurt curled up in his lap, his eyes scanning his copy of Wuthering Heights with new vigor. The wet feeling of a marker being pressed to his arm will make his head snap up- almost in a scowl. Kurt will close the book and look at Finn questioningly.

Finn will just grin, obviously proud of his work. Twisting his arm, Kurt will find four neatly printed letters standing out on his pale skin in red sharpie._MINE._

"_Finn?" He'll ask, laughing and twining his arm around the larger boy's neck. "Why the red marker?" Finn will just smile, brushing his cheek softly with the pad of his thumb. _

"_Red was always your color, dude."_


End file.
